A few weeks ago, we touched on the subject of the caste system in India, an archaic social structure that is preventing the Dalit caste, which is a large portion of India’s population, from getting the opportunities they deserve and the opportunities that are their legal right. The founder of our partner school in India, Dr. Abraham George, founded Shanti Bhavan based on the principles that every child has the capability to change the world if given the right resources, an idea we definitely believe in. So I dived into the philosophy behind Shanti Bhavan a bit more, and loved what I found:
Dr. George even wrote this book, "India Untouched," about his experiences opening the Shanti Bhavan school in India.
Dr. George realized that a country with a government plagued by corruption is not capable of taking care of its population; and simply giving money to the government in support of support educational projects did no good. In 1995, Dr. George left a lucrative Wall Street career to return to India and set up Shanti Bhavan. This way he could ensure that every penny donated would go towards educating the students admitted to his school. Shanti Bhavan is a truly progressive school where students get a well-rounded education and are encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities, a truly radical idea if you look at the education system in the rest of India. Here are some fast facts about Shanti Bhavan:
The Shanti Bhavan model…
- The Shanti Bhavan model identifies and educates tomorrow’s leaders of professions, politics, and society from within the ranks of India’s most deprived families. The school’s model rests on three pillars: promoting academic achievement, instilling values and inspiring leadership.
- 95 percent of shanti Bhavan’s students belong to the Dalit, or formerly termed “untouchable” communities, from families well below the Indian poverty line of $48 USD per month for a family of four or more.
- Children are exposed to a diverse curriculum of academics that ensures all-around development, such as liberal arts, athletics and debate taught by both a local faculty and international volunteers representing 12 countries.
The Shanti Bhavan model seems to be working…
- All students who took the level X ICSE exam in 2008, 2009 and 2010 passed with First Division, equivalent to a 3.5 GPA and higher by U.S. standards. Half of the students scored “Distinctions,” above 75 percent, the highest scoring category. No other Indian school in history has achieved such success within the Dalit community
- In 2010, Shanti Bhavan celebrated its first graduation of 14 students. All 14 graduates were accepted into top colleges in Bangalore, many of which are considered among the top 10 undergraduate colleges in India.
While Shanti Bhavan is a fairly young school (the first class graduated in 2010), I have no doubts that its graduates will go far. Already, the students are attending the top universities in India! Shanti Bhavan students are truly a real life Cinderella story. To learn more about the school, check out this link.